He is set to vote for the move in a Commons vote on Monday where all MPs will have their say without dictation from their party.

Mr Lamb said he had backed a ban for some time, and within five or 10 years it would seem incomprehensible that people could smoke in front of children.

He said: “I am an enthusiastic support of it as a liberal. It is a measure which is designed to protect children who aren’t in a position to protect themselves.

“It’s not just about parents - it is about anyone carrying children in a car. I might be someone giving a child a lift to school.

“I just think it is about establishing a social norm which in five or 10 years’ time we will think ‘did we really think it was OK to smoke in front of a child?”

The vote comes as the Children and Families Bill returns to the Commons. The Bill was amended in the House of Lords last week after Labour tabled an amendment which would give the Health Secretary the power to make it illegal to smoke in a car carrying children.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has expressed support for the ban, although Deputy Prime Nick Clegg has said he did not agree with it as it would be unenforceable.

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It is not a good idea for any adult to smoke in front of a child, firstly as the child is then subjected to passive inhalation of cigarette smoke and secondly it provides an inappropriate role model. Smoking should certainly be banned in cars where there are children as should smoking whilst driving.

Don't get me wrong, smoking in a car while kids are inside is a pretty selfish and vile activity .... but come on, our police have got enough to deal with as it is. This is just another unenforceable law that will take up so much police time and effort to deal with. An education campaign ...yes. It should be a parents own common sense that tells them not to do it, not PC Herbert being forced to intervene and then upset the kids because they see their parents pulled over under blue lights, given a ticket and a talking too along with the associated public humiliation. Think it through please Whitehall !!

There is no harm resultant from second hand smoke. In fact nobody ever believed it to start with as we all grew up in it. The claims are a fraud as well as the new 3rd hand smoke claims. In fact they cant even prove smoking causes any disease in anyone to begin with. Even after 100 years and probably a trillion dollars wasted in the pursuit! There is no proof of end point connection to disease outcomes.

Since the prosecutions a while back of drivers observed to be eating an apple or chocolate bar or drinking from a bottle of water whilst driving, it has puzzled me why there has not been a move to ban drivers from smoking in a moving car. Surely it is as distracting as the above and almost as dangerous as using a mobile phone. And yes, smoking in a car with kids in it should be banned on the principle that only a selfish idiot would do it anyway.

Unenforceable! The police do not have the resourcesinclinationinterestencouragement to apprehend drivers for using mobile phonesnot wearing seatbeltsfailure to indicate their intentionshaving defective lightsdriving with fog lights on when visibility is over 100 metres. The list is endless. Let's sort out the laws as they are before we introduce new ones.

Yes it should be banned while children are in the car. Apart from the health aspect there is also the distraction it can cause. When I used to smoke I had a couple of near misses because of ash blowing back in through the window or because of a cigarette butt still glowing in the ashtray.

I would like to point out in my last post, this should be while driving.. And as pointed out by someone else same as mobile phones i see this every single day in Boston, Lincs UK and nothing is ever done about it, police don't seem to be taking this seriously enough. Heavy fines need to be enforced on mobile phone uses. It's stupid and dangerous and tech today is cheap to answer a phone hands free.smoking come one you pathetic people just pull over and have a cigar. Is a life that cheep to put others at risk, not to pull over?? Ban ban ban

With our current knowledge of the potential harm caused by inhaling tobacco smoke only a brainless idiot would smoke in a confined place with children, be it a car or a living room. What concerns me is that, as a society, we are considered so incapable of responsible thinking that something like this has to be made law, a law which, also, will be practically impossible to police.

Smoking in cars should be banned full stop not just for children as this is another issue i think. This is pure and simply for safety. i had a women drive towards me with a cigarette in her mouth and then in her hand on the steering wheel she glance away from the road as looked like she dropped her cigarette and came towards my car, luckily experienced enough, I was able to swerve around her before she hit me head on and look back up to the road realizing what had happened.I see this every day and not only looks awful it is dangerous. In my early 20s, I had a cigarette in my car and the end fell on my trousers burning me and the first thing I did was look down away from the road,stupid, dangerous and never smoked again in the car or will allow anyone to either in my car..for the other sensible drivers this should be banned

Uninforcable! like stop and search this will be used divisively. Thoreuwasright said it all, smokers driving with kids in the car need their head examined. What will be the result of a conviction? a fine for polluting one's child with carcinogens? withdrawal of license for a year? what if four young smoking teenagers are in a car? what age or criteria will the police use to enforce this ban? As usual we only get half of the information on fluff.

There is no harm resultant from second hand smoke. In fact nobody ever believed it to start with as we all grew up in it. The claims are a fraud as well as the new 3rd hand smoke claims. In fact they cant even prove smoking causes any disease in anyone to begin with. Even after 100 years and probably a trillion dollars wasted in the pursuit! There is no proof of end point connection to disease outcomes.

The argument that this measure is "unenforcable" is the same one that was used against compulsory seat-belts.Fixed Penalty Notices are a simple but effective from of enforcement.No good reason this should not go ahead.

milecross I really do wish you would seek help. There are many qualified people and organisations locally who would be sympathetic to your problems with self esteem. It's hard to live with constant resentment and I'm sure you would benefit greatly if you could find the courage to accept your problem - believe me it's quite cathartic.

The problem is that most of the gullible population have been completely brainwashed by the anti-smoking propaganda.
Mr Lamb says.."It is a measure which is designed to protect children who aren’t in a position to protect themselves."
My question is; Protect the children from what, exactly?
The VAST MAJORITY of studies show that children 'subjected' to passive smoke are LESS LIKELY to get cancer in adulthood compared to children of non-smokers...but hey...why let science get in the way of a political agenda!
THIS IS NOT ABOUT HEALTH.
Trust the scientists.
http:tctactics.orgindex.phpCritical_Scientists